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Library News

Library research tool celebrates 65 years

Index to Proceedings 65th Anniversary

Friday 18 May 2018

Topics: Resources

What is the Index to Proceedings?

The Index to Proceedings is prepared by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library in New York. It is a series of publications about the documentation of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council.

Anyone who has ever undertaken historical research on the United Nations has likely found the Indexes to be their saving grace. The Indexes are one of the few organized sources of information since the establishment of the UN. They offer a path into what really happened by detailing who spoke when, about what, how resolutions were voted on, and how subjects were treated and considered.

The Index to Proceedings of the General Assembly was first published in 1953 and covered the 5th regular session, held in 1950-1951. This year, the Index to Proceedings celebrates its 65th anniversary.

How is the Index to Proceedings created?

The Indexes are produced by a small team within the Library, responsible for painstakingly going through all the documentation of each session or year by body to extract the metadata (including voting data and speeches) to compile the publications.

The full collection of the Index to Proceedings are available on the Dag Hammarskjöld Library’s website. Learn more about the Indexes in our related Ask DAG FAQs on the topic.